LE STELLE ITALIANE NEL MONDO

There are so many Italian artists working today in the world's major dance companies: étoile, choreographers and young talents who shine in the most important theaters, from the Opéra de Paris to the New York City Ballet, from the English National Ballet in London to the San Francisco Ballet. Their biographies are stories of tenacity and dedication, marked from turns and a spirit of adventure. In their dance is the tale of Italian artistic emigration: individual and successful journeys to excellence.

to these Italian excellences in the world, who have won over international audiences, is dedicated to a unique evening-event designed for Festival dei Due Mondi. to lead this group of stars, Eleonora Abbagnato, star of one of the most compelling success stories as an Italian artist abroad, now étoile of one of the world's greatest theaters, the Paris Opera, and director of the corps de ballet of the Teatro dell'Opera in Rome.

The program ranges from the great classical repertoire to pieces signed from great choreographers of our time, to original creations by young Italian authors. An opportunity to admire the dance we already know and love, expressed at the highest technical and interpretative levels, but also to discover a new and original choreographic sign, of Italian origin, which is maturing and growing in the world.

Special guest of the gala is Eleonora Abbagnato, the first Italian dancer to be named étoile at the Ballet de l'Opéra de Paris.

Other Italian stars include from several international companies, who interpret some of the most celebrated pieces of the classical repertoire: Davide Dato, from Biella, since 2016 Erste Solotänzer of the Wiener Staatsballett, starring in the main productions of the Viennese company; Gabriele Frola, from Aosta, appointed in 2018 Principal of the **National Ballet of Canada**and, at the same time, of the **English National Ballet** who performs in the famous Grand Pas de Deux from Petipa's _Don Quixote _; Rachele Buriassi, soloist at the Boston Ballet.

Also among the younger dancers are eighteen-year-old Davide Riccardo from Messina, a graduate of the School of American Ballet and, since August 2018, the first Italian at New York City Ballet, and six Italian dancers from the Stuttgart Ballet: Fabio Adorisio, Daniele Silingardi, Alessandro Giaquinto, Matteo Miccini, Vittoria Girelli and Elisa Ghisalberti.

Presenting pieces from the repertoire of the companies of the great choreographers of the twentieth century are the Italians: Damiano Ottavio Bigi, artist of the Tanztheater Wuppertal, a company dedicated toopera its founder Pina Bausch; Davide Riccardo of the New York City Ballet, who presents Jerome Robbins' Andantino in a tribute to the American choreographer so closely linked to the city of Spoleto; **Davide Dato **of the Wiener Staatsballett, starring in George Balanchine's Tarantella.

Prominent on the program are creations by some of the most sought-after choreographers on the contemporary scene: Claudio Cangialosi, of theOpera Ballet Vlaanderen, dances a piece by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui; Sasha Riva and Simone Repele, formerly at John Neumeier'sHamburg Ballett and now at the Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève, perform a creation by Marco Goecke.

Also premiering nationally are creations by young Italian authors whose talent is recognized abroad:**Alessandro Giaquinto **and Fabio Adorisio, of the Stuttgart Ballet, present two creations (for the Spoleto Festival) interpreted by the six Italian dancers from the same company.